Urban Change in Iran

The start of year 2016 saw the publication of a new book entitled

springer.com/gb/book/9783319261133">Urban Change in Iran, co-edited by Dr. Farnaz Arefian  (UCL-IRDR).  Published by Springer International Publishing, the book provides an in depth case study for understanding complexities of urban transformation, using cross-disciplinary perspectives. This book, based on conference excerpts, investigates various aspects of contemporary Iranian urbanism. 

The conference took place in November 2012 (see http://urban-change-in-iran.org for further details), which was sponsored and organised by the IRDR and hosted by DPU (Development Planning Unit) at UCL, was branded as a landmark event and received recognition by the UNESCO Director General.

The practice-policy oriented contributions also include those concerning the country's responses to natural disasters for reconstruction in urban areas. Alongside more theoretically and artistically oriented debates, the book's individual contributors (which include Dr. Arefian) also turn their attention to the now much higher proportion of urban dwellers in the country's rising population. It also discusses the policies designed in response to these demographic moves, including those to develop new towns, find housing for the excess population in existing cities, renovate historic buildings and create new public spaces. The book is the frontier of Springer's Urban Series.

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